Iraqi officials expressed fury, noting the recent series of deadly bombings despite ubiquitous use of the wands in the capital. Nevertheless, the devices were still being waved last month after Britain confirmed the scandal.

In a test in November, a Times driver was allowed through nine checkpoints as the wands failed to detect two rifles stored in the car.

“Roger Annis of Haiti Solidarity BC says Haitians have responded to the earthquake with dignity and community spirit. Yet donor countries have insisting on sending in the military along with the aid. Annis says the foreign troops aren’t helping Haiti recover from the disaster.”

New research suggests that when a home’s value falls below 75 percent of the amount owed on the mortgage, the owner starts to think hard about walking away, even if he or she has the money to keep paying.

The number of Americans who owed more than their homes were worth was virtually nil when the real estate collapse began in mid-2006, but by the third quarter of 2009, an estimated 4.5 million homeowners had reached the critical threshold, with their home’s value dropping below 75 percent of the mortgage balance.

With figures released last week showing that the real estate market was stalling again, their numbers are now projected to climb to a peak of 5.1 million by June — about 10 percent of all Americans with mortgages.